The Value of Truth

Posted on February 9, 2017 by The Academic Raven

An essay penned for the school paper, Feb 3, 2017

This was not, in fact, the piece I intended to write. But as I scanned the news this morning, I was compelled to comment. Let me say first that my intent is not political; some things bear urgency regardless of where one stands on any political or policy spectrum. The issue to which I refer was a statement by a representative of the current administration made in defense of a recent policy decision. As an example of why this policy was needed, the representative cited the ‘Bowling Green Massacre,’ an event which, as I am sure you know, never occurred.  Continue reading →

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America’s Abusive Boyfriend: Why Melania Matters

Posted on January 26, 2017 by The Academic Raven

I know we are all reeling from the constant barrage of outrages coming from the White House and the fully GOP congress. And, like many of you, I have been wrestling with trying to understand the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of Trump’s actions. While certainly, the similarities to Hitler’s rise and eventual remodeling of the Reich into his own fascist sandbox are clear and chilling, I think it is a mistake to assume Trump has that much savvy. It may not make much difference in the final analysis, of course, but I think that there is something very different happening in Washington now than in Germany then. Continue reading →

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Chiropractic is not Medicine

Posted on October 21, 2016 by The Academic Raven

Because I am sick to death of having this argument and having to find these sources over and over, I’ve assembled them in one place. Bottom line is, sure, you can spend your money however you like, but do NOT, even for a moment, pretend that going to a chiropractor for anything other than back pain (and even then it’s a long shot) is even remotely scientifically valid. It’s not. It’s hooey, hogwash, bunkum, bullshit, quackery, snake oil. It’s right up there with anti-vaxxers, homeopathy, or crystal healing. It’s pure woo, and worse, it’s woo that bilks the gullible out of their money, poses a significant risk of letting actual illnesses go undiagnosed and/or untreated, and carries its own risks of damage and injury.

Continue reading →

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Welcome to the Racist Left

Posted on July 14, 2016 by The Academic Raven

Why Bernie Sanders and his Bernie Bros have become as toxic as Trump.

I recently encountered a disturbingly entitled, condescending, privilege-blinded argument for why so-called ‘progressives*’ are doing everything possible to undermine Hilary’s campaign, even if it means Trump wins. (Warning, this is a bit of a rant.) Continue reading →

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When ‘Women Against Feminism’ Goes Rape Apologist…it isn’t pretty.

Posted on December 30, 2015 by The Academic Raven

*cue the frothing rage*

Below, I have linked to a horrible piece entitled “Feminists want us to define these ugly sexual encounters as rape. Don’t let them” Penned by libertarian Cathy Young, a supporter of Women Against Feminism and frequent critic of campus anti-rape programs, this article is….the most egregiously dismissive and patronizing pieces of garbage I have ever read, though not surprising given the source.

The author says with contempt that “Today, [feminism] not only embraces an absolutist version of ‘no means no,’ in which any hint of reluctance must halt further attempts at sexual intimacy; the movement also insists that only a clear (and sober) ‘yes’ means yes.” That’s right, that is exactly what is demanded, and it’s long overdue. But she thinks this is the problem???? Continue reading →

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10 Rather Easy Questions, Actually

Posted on November 26, 2015 by The Academic Raven

A recently posted piece on TodayChristian.net.came across my feed today.

They call the piece “10 Questions For Every Atheist: Some Questions Atheist[sic] Cannot Truly and Honestly REALLY Answer!“(sic)  This rather odd claim is followed by the observation: “Which leads to some interesting conclusions…”  (You could find the piece here, but the link seems to be dead now. There are many versions of this out there, however.)

I hate to disappoint the author, but these are 10 questions atheists can answer very easily, and are really, really tired of answering, and which are rather condescending. But, just to play along, I will answer them. Continue reading →

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The Mindset of the GOP & What it Means for the Future.

Posted on May 5, 2015 by The Academic Raven

A recent public opinion poll (released Feb 24, 2015) showed a couple of very scary points. There is a lot about favored presidential contenders (though none had yet announced), and some not very surprising assessments of public opinion regarding other figures such as Netanhayu and GWBush.

However, a few items caught my eye in particular: Continue reading →

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Why Religion in Education Matters: Basic Science Literacy

Posted on February 18, 2015 by The Academic Raven

I posted about this photo below a while back. (Click to enlarge.)

Is this really a Christian Homeschool textbook? (Click to enlarge)

The web was oddly ambivalent about whether this is really part of a science textbook; even Snopes wouldn’t come down and confirm it. (http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=62120) So I held my nose and ordered a (used) copy. What I got was actually the ‘Home Teacher’s Edition.’ I am very sorry to report that this image IS an actual page in the “Science 4 for Christian Schools” textbook. Continue reading →

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The American Dream: A cultural theory perspective

Posted on December 18, 2014 by The Academic Raven

I recently got chatting with someone I met on a political forum and found myself in a (surprisingly and pleasantly civil) political discussion. The other person and I tend to come from rather different views, but our discourse has been rewarding. He asked me to put forth some comments on the following question, and thought it was something worth sharing:

“What does the term ‘American Dream’ mean to you? And is it still possible for everyone to achieve it?” Continue reading →

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Review: Constantine’s Sword

Posted on October 29, 2014 by The Academic Raven

James Carroll’s Constantine’s Sword, or Constantine’s Sword

2007, Storyville Films/First Run Features

A historical documentary film on the relationship between the Catholic Church and Jews. Directed and produced Oren Jacoby, inspired by former priest James P. Carroll’s 2001 book Constantine’s Sword.

First of all, having only seen the film, and not read the book, my comments may not relate directly to what the original work represents. From what I do know of the book, though, it goes into far more exhaustive detail and builds a far more elaborate case for a continuity of anti-Semitism from Constantine to the present day. That broad arc is not quite as visible in the film, which might, ironically, be a saving grace, albeit a minor one, of the film over the book. Continue reading →

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